Surveillance and therapy of the H1N1/09 influenza variant, (which may also be known as as “novel H1N1,” “swine flu,” and “Mexican flu,” among others) requires monitoring of patients with influenza symptoms as well as tracking of subpopulations and strains. Assays that track such subpopulations should rapidly, quantitatively, sensitively and specifically detect the subpopulations in mixed concentrations of antiviral sensitive viruses.